1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to foot-propelled scooters and ride-on devices, particularly to a dual-footboard scooters and devices in a tricycle format.
2. Description of the Related Art
A standard scooter is a child""s vehicle which includes a long footboard supported by front and rear end wheels. The scooter is controlled by an upright steering post coupled to the front wheel and provided with a steering handle. In riding the scooter, the child grasps the handle and rests one foot on the footboard. The child puts the scooter in motion by means of his other foot, which is swung to repeatedly make pushing contact with the road on one side of the footboard.
A single footboard scooter is a somewhat hazardous vehicle in the hands of an inexperienced rider, for like a two-wheel bicycle, the scooter is inherently unstable. When the scooter is in motion the rider""s weight is balanced on the footboard, otherwise, the scooter will tip to one side, throwing the rider. If the scooter should jump in the course of travel and the front wheel becomes raised above the ground, the scooter may then swing backward about the rear wheel, throwing the rider.
Far more stable and controllable than a scooter is a conventional tricycle, which has a front wheel to which a steering handle is coupled through a steering post, and a pair of rear wheels above which is a seat to accommodate the rider. The feet of the seated rider engages pedals mounted on the axle of the front wheel.
A tricycle, however, is a relatively tame vehicle, for its pedal operation precludes the tricycle from traveling very fast. The advantage of a scooter is that it cannot only be propelled to travel at high speed, but the rider can also execute various maneuvers or tricks with a scooter, such as jumping over steps to go from a raised to a lower road surface. However, performing tricks on a conventional single footboard scooter frequently entails unacceptable risk.
Inasmuch as a scooter in accordance with the invention is in a tricycle format, Powell (U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,748) discloses a walking and riding vehicle provided with a bifurcated or V-shaped tubular metal frame on whose diverging legs are mounted rear end wheels. A front wheel controlled by a steering handle is supported below the apex of the frame. The child grasping the handle can walk the Powell vehicle by walking between the legs, or the vehicle can be used for coasting by standing on foot rest plates attached to the diverging legs.
The tri-skater is disclosed by Holter in U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,121 with a v-shaped frame on which footboards are mounted, and rear skate casters coupled to the rear of its footboards. A handle-controlled front wheel is coupled to the apex of the frame. The Holter vehicle is propelled by a rider performing a cambering motion, similar to an ice skater, grasping the handle simultaneously standing on both of the footboards, and shifting his or her weight alternately from side to side.
The three-wheeled scooter type vehicle disclosed in the Shelton patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,192, is forwardly propelled by body movement of the rider by means of two rearwardly extending foot support frames pivotally connected to a front steering column. The foot support frames are provided with caster wheels which are yieldably tensioned to propel the vehicle in a direction of forward travel when the foot support frames are laterally moved, also akin to the cambering motion of an ice skater.
Disclosed in the Winchell U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,071,261, 4,076,270 and 4,088,338, in the Biskup U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,093 and in the Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,732 are three-wheeled cambering vehicles. In these cambering vehicles, foot rests are also provided in a bifurcated or V-formation, the vehicle being propelled by the rider shifting his weight in a timed sequence from one foot to the other.
My above-identified applications disclose standard and off-road dual-footboard scooters and related ride-on devices, all in a tricycle format and most with a front wheel mounted under a steering post that passes through a steering column and joins a steering handle that is provided with a hand brake operatively coupled to the front wheel. Footboards are attached at each of their front ends to the rearward extensions of the bifurcated frame, from the steering column. Secured to the underside of each footboard is a rear end wheel, behind which is a skid brake adapted to engage the ground when the footboard is upwardly tilted.
The bifurcated frame defines separate bifurcated branch members, to which rearwardly extending branch members attach, the bifurcated branch members having a first free space therebetween which merges with a second free space between the rearwardly extending branch members, forming in their uninterrupted part an extended free space. This volume of extended free space allows, regardless of where a rider stands with one foot on either footboard, the rider to swing his or her propelling foot in an unimpeded fashion, as necessary to propel the scooter, which is especially useful to propel the scooter at high rates of speed. The third dimension of the volume of the first free space is generally defined by the lower part of the sloping bifurcated branch members up to the top-most portion of the steering column. The third dimension of the volume of the second free space is similarly generally defined at a height of below the top-most portion of the steering column to the bottom-most portion of the rear wheels, or more specifically, the volume through which the rider will thrust his or her propelling foot during the high speed travel that the scooter is designed for, as further described below.
In operating the scooter, the rider grasps the steering handle, one foot then resting on either footboard, the other foot extending (or swinging) through the extended free space making pushing contact with the ground and propelling the scooter forward.
A scooter of the type disclosed in my above-referenced applications are suited for use on smooth paved roads that are free of ruts and other surface disruptions, as well as for off-road operations.
Scooters previously known in the art prior to my above-referenced applications would swing backward about the rear wheels and throw or otherwise endanger the rider when, during the course of travel, their footboards become upwardly inclined. The scooters of my inventions avoid this action by the rear skid brakes which then engage the ground to cause the scooter to swing forward to return the front wheel to the ground, as well as providing other benefits described herein. The scooters of my invention further allow for quick disassembly and assembly, which is especially useful for transport of the scooter in another vehicle.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a dual-footboard scooter in a tricycle format which is propelled by a rider who rests one foot on either rearwardly extending branch member and swing the other foot through an extended free space to make pushing contact with the ground.
An advantage and significant feature of a dual-footboard scooter in accordance with the invention include that the scooter has the inherent stability of a tricycle, yet is more maneuverable and is capable of being propelled to travel at a much faster speed; the scooter is safe to operate under both standard or off-road conditions, with wheels having standard or deep-tread tires, if necessary to provide good traction on a dirt path or an unpaved road; the scooter is of simple design and can therefore be mass produced at low cost, using for this purpose standard tricycle components; and, the rearwardly extending branch members are removable to facilitate compact transport, and the rider can selectively position the rear wheels.
The front and rear wheels may either be relatively smooth or may be provided with deep-tread tires for improved traction on unpaved surfaces. In operating the scooter, the rider grasps the steering handle, with ne foot then resting on either footboard and the other foot extending through the free space between the footboards and swinging to make pushing contact with the ground to propel the scooter.